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The Jewish youth is beaten after appearing to resist arrest. Photo: Screenshot.

A video that surfaced hours ago online, shows an unarmed, shoe-less and shirtless Jewish youth being beaten by NYPD officers in the wee hours of the morning of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah last week, after appearing to resist arrest.

Local community blog Crownheights.info named the victim as Ehud Halevy, a resident of Brooklyn, aged 22. Although a YouTube video headline labels Mr. Halevy as a “special needs teen,” The Algemeiner has been unable to verify this claim.

The clip, showing October 8th at 1:05 am as the time of recording, opens with what appears to be a verbal interaction between Mr. Halevy and two police officers, one male and one female. After a failed effort to handcuff the youth, the male officer adopts an aggressive stance, strikes Mr. Halevy in the head, and precedes to beat him for approximately two minutes. The female officer strikes the man repeatedly with a truncheon and according to the community blog, “the man is also pepper-sprayed.”

Other officers arrive on the scene shortly afterward and the man is cuffed and escorted from the building.

The incident took place at the ALIYA Alternative Learning Institute for Young Adults, a Jewish youth center founded in 2003, that is “committed to serving spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and vocational needs of young adults in the Crown Heights community.”

A source familiar with the incident who did not wish to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told The Algemeiner that “someone called the cops because he didn’t recognize the kid sleeping there, the cops came and tried arresting him – when he held back/resisted the cops punched him out.”

The victim told the source that ”he had permission to sleep there.”

According to the local blog, the man is being charged with assaulting a police officer and “four Misdemeanor charges and four violations, including trespassing, resisting arrest and harassment.” He has been released on bail.

Officers at the 71st Precinct and at the New York Police Department press line did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.

The video of the incident is posted below, please note the video includes violent scenes, viewer discretion is advised.

On further examination, the male officer may have missed his calling. A thorough background investigation (not like the lamestream media never did on Barack Obama) may well reveal a past career in professional boxing. The female officer certainly was not very helpful, especially once gloved fists flew. Why did she avoid those gloves? Was the beating premeditated, the fists known weapons?

This is a clear example of police brutality. The victim probably had mental problems (hence he slept there), and the small minded cops barge in, and want to cuff him as if he was robbing the place.

This guy didn’t disrespect the police uniforms: they did! He just tried to protect himself from being treated like an animal. And boy, did they do the latter. The male pig transforms in his MMA stance, just before battering the helpless victim with a series of fist blows that could take out a crack junkie. After that, he and his female colleague almost wrestle each other in order to find space on the victims body to strike at.

In short: disgusting, a pure offense to mankind, and a proof that some of the criteria which are handled when deciding on police academy applicants, should at least be sharpened.

He is not a teen (13-19 years old) and he is 22
enough, to have discipline, he was very disobedient, to the police officers, he had to stay quiet, calm, so to my opinion, he had a punishment, excessive force by the police, but was his fault.

Carmen, if you are a Jew from Spain, you are a subject. Sovereignty resides, at some point, in the King. American Jews are supposed to be citizens of a republic with rights enumerated in the Constitution, the ultimate law of the land. Sovereignty resides in the People. The United States’ authority is nothing like Spain’s.

What is the problem if he did not wear a shirt? For anyone to call the police because he did not wear a shirt while sleeping is beyond the pale. It is lucky for this young man that he is white. Had he been black or Latino it is more than likely that he would have been shot and killed.

In any event the cops that piled on this young man should be suspended from the force without pay. In fact having them permanently lose their jobs would be even better.

In 1991, Los Angeles police harshly beat African American Rodney King. The police officers involved were acquitted and is widely believed to have lead up to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, causing 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses.

First, as a law enforcement officer, I have to say that we have a tendency to protect our own, as is displayed by the other law enforcement officers who posted. Also, as stated by one of them, many regard themselves as people, the environment in which they work as the jungle, and those with whom they deal as animals. Do you not think that this attitude might tend to increase the likelihood of overreaction?

First, there is no reason to cuff the kid in the first place. They accosted him, he provided a reasonable explanation. Rather than everyone sitting down to see if it could be verified, the officers chose to restrain the man. He did not wish to be restrained, and why should he? He did nothing wrong, and he knew it.

Once it was decided, rightly or wrongly, to restrain the man, with two armed and trained officers against one half naked man, they could have simply pinned him and cuffed him. It would have taken a little effort, but isn’t that their job?

What the video shows is two officers overreacting right from the start. The male officer started beating the hell out of the man, when the man had made NO AGGRESSIVE MOVE WHATSOEVER. Then, the female officer joined in the fun with her club. They had been talking. Trained officer, WHO SEE THIS MAN AS A HUMAN BEING AND NOT A JUNGLE ANIMAL, would have used better judgement in just talking with him, and waiting for confirmation of his story. There was absolutely no reason to go any further unless the man had become aggressive.

What really adds to the brutality is the system itself. He has been charged with, I believe, FOUR CRIMES! Instead of disciplining the officers and sending them to anger management classes, the system, again, protects its own and, in this case, unjustly. Knowing how the system works, I know he will be convicted of at least one of these crimes. He will get an overworked public defender, who will arrange for him to sign a plea of guilty to one or more of the crimes and be put on probation. While this may seem reasonable, how many of you, out there, would like to have a criminal record, for the rest of your life, based on the incident displayed in the video?

It seems, at least from press reports, that police brutality is on the rise. I know the stress which we endure, and there sometimes does come a feeling of just stopping whatever we perceive as a wrong situation. But, with the world as it is, it is all the more reason for officers to display calm and reasonable judgement in dealing with their fellow man. I do not know if the victim’s Jewishness is a factor here or not. But I do know that the police overreacted. They should be sent to training on how to deal with such situations, and ALL CHARGES against the victim should be dropped, with a rebuke to the district attorney’s office by the court for their rush to add crimes to injury.

As a law enforcement officer, contact with the “troubled” or emotionally disturbed is always difficult. To my professional eye the arresting officers could have done better but were well within standard protocol. The arrestee clearly resisted a routine cuffing (done to ensure officer safety until the facts of the call for service could be clarified). The individual repeatedly enters the officers “safe space”while they are talking to him. He is agitated and is swinging his arms wildly. I would have cuffed him too. There is absurd commentary by several of the above in regards to hate crimes etc.–nonsense. The male officer looks a little too ready to duke it out–emotionally disturbed individuals require a bit more savy and less brawn. This is a training issue for police departments. No other violations seen–the officers stop as soon as he is cuffed and controlled. No illegal strikes (baton to head etc.) are seen. Overall grade is a C- and a poor showing for police PR.

“That young man perhaps is a delinquent”? And?
Maybe he is a Yid kid, no English or Spanish. Video-only security cameras may work or i.d., but not very well for what happened. Better than a Red Light Camera, worse than videocam. NYPD may have the lowest applicant standards and weakest training in the nation. But lousy videos like this one protects cops better than PBA lawyers can. In Obamaland, all Jews need to join ALIYA, and I don’t mean a youth center. If you think New York is tough, just wait until unemployment hits 40% and people get hungry. It has only dropped because Obama appointees have been busy redefining it! Get out while you still can!

Why is it an arrestable offence to not be recognised by someone working in a center that clearly has this sort of function? Wouldn’t the appropriate response been: a. to not have involved the cops at all, or b. if the cops had to be involved, have them ask him some questions, verify who he was and why he was there, and if all seemed kosher, leave? Since when is sleeping in an alternative centre a crime? I would have ‘resisted arrest’ in this case, too. To be brutally beaten and require ELEVEN cops to arrest this kid is indefencible.

I am appalled and absolutely disgusted by this video. I am have been to Aliya many times and spoke to some of the attendees. Aliya is a place for troubled youth to come for a positive experience. 22 is a chronological age, not a mental age. I don’t know this 22 year old, but if he is at Aliyah youth is still an appropriate term. And the police should have been aware of this.

At 1:24 of the video the police office puts up his dukes. Yes, the guy did resist being put into hand-cuffs. But did the cop have to actually “put up his dukes” and assuming a fighting position? At that point no one was hurt and no one was struck. The cop could have attempted some other way to get the guy to cooperate. The cop didn’t have to start punching the guy. He could have simply said I am calling for backup. Either you come now or I will have 11 cops put you in hand cuffs and take you in. And then the cop could have waited for backup to arrive.

I cannot believe they needed 11 cops to take in one shirtless, shoeless unarmed man after they beat him for nearly 4 minutes.

In my view as a non-New Yorker, I see this as a clear case of Police brutality. The officer used unnecessary roughness and instigated this event by punching the guy. The police officers involved should be suspended and reprimanded for their actions.

You are absolutely correct. The majority of cops are brutal, corrupt and think they can do and get away with murder(I’m sure that has happened). As soon as they get that badge their whole personality changes. I’ve noticed a lot of them are short and ugly so maybe they got bullied, picked on their whole lives or beaten by their parents?! Who knows. I have personally been approached by 2 undercover cops and was told that if I didn’t tell them what they wanted, they would kill me and throw me in a dumpster. I don’t trust the police. They lie for themselves and each other. Innocent until proven guilty my a**. Nypd officer in 2008 viciously beat an army vet and got away with it. After trying to cover it up! Those filthy cops should be fired and put in jail. As for Chester O’Dweck’s stupid ass comment, I hope you get your ass kicked so bad you can never be a cop or wanna be cop. You are exactly the type of person we do not need on any police force. We’re you raped or beaten my your mommy/daddy?? Boo fk’n hoo. Sounds like you deserve another one. This is America, not the jungle and we are humans not animals. Those racist idiotic cops in LA 1991 who got acquitted for the vicious beating of Rodney King caused riots killing almost 60, injuring over 5300 and multiple fires. Remember, cops are servants, servants to civilized people.
Now go to hell
Stephanie

I’m hearing a lot of stupidity and seeing a lot of words spelled incorrectly, but it doesn’t change the facts. My default allegiance is to the NYPD. New York’s Finest. Until I am ready to do the job of protecting the people, I support them in their efforts of doing it for us. No one wants to go out into that jungle every day with the type of animals they have to face. And while they are out there, if some imbecile doesn’t know better than NOT TO RESIST ARREST, than I support what they did to contain the situation and perhaps prevent it from happening again. This has nothing to do with Jew or non Jew. There is no double standard for not cooperating with the Police Dept.

A 22 years old is no kid anymore. Resisting arrest is an offense. Would he not be Jewish, neither Algemeiner nor its readers mention or comment about. In other words the motivation of paper is ethno-religious and racial …

At least for the police the ethnic roots of the suspect played no role. They acted as NYPD police often does and their behavior calls for an investigation, possibly. But not because of the Jewish adult looking suspect to another Jew …

THE “KID” HAD TO RESPECT TO THE POLICE OFFICERS, WAS HIS FAULT, BECAUSE HE REACTED IN A BAD WAY, I REPEAT IT,
WAS HIS FAULT AND OVERALL, IS NOT A HATE CRIME, PLEASE,
DO NOT FANTASIZE!!, THE PROBLEM WAS A DISOBEDIENT AGAINST THE POLICE.

are u kidding me. so if i disrespect a teacher he has the right to use me as a punching bag. so that is protocol if if you are disobedient to a cop he is allowed to do a mike tyson barrage. either u have some screws lose or you r bias and trying to stick up for the the latin american cop (btw doing a terrible job at it)

That why, we have so many delinquents in the world,
kids grow up being witnesses of violence, of all kinds. Their mothers do not pay attention to them, and let the children to be watching TV
programs, which contain violence, in a high level.
When they become adults, the do not respect to anyone!, not parents, not teachers, not police, they are pure *#@* and also
they are food for cemetery and/or jail.
A bunch of stupids, without a cultural and/or educational level, only know to talk using ugly words and the chain will continue, their children will do the same, bastards!!.

Just in case, i am from Spain and there the police is more severe than here, in the U.S.A
+ F.Y.I.
i am of Jewish ancestry (Ashkenazim)….
it is respect, what we are talking about, and that young man is a shame for the Jewish people.

THIS SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOUR MOTHER Chester O’Dweck Then explain it off as Well they were resisting GEt a clue you shmuck for real …When has a HISSIDIC jew Ever posed a threat my gut says your a cop sticking up for your BROTHERHOOD ..Like I said your mother should go through this if you really think what these cops did is ok …Or your Child if you have one …SHMUCKS ENRAGE ME!!GUY COCK OFF EM YAM!!!SHTICK DRECK

From a British angle it seems the Police overreacted and did not have the experience or ability to arrest a unarmed suspect despite being two present. Amazing to how many came to “the rescue” too. I think they should be sevely repremanded. Rhe victim needs a simple caution.
To the guy’s credit he is a tough fellow and would do ever so well in the IDF if he chooses that career path.

Where is the Jewish “Al Sharpton”? We rail about how bad he is, but if this kid was black, Al would have a protest already organized, and this kid would be getting lot’s of $$$ from the city!!!
Where is our outcry!!! Who can this kid turn to for a voice????

THE POLICE DEPATTMENTS NEED RESTRUCURING AND RORGANIZED SO IT WILL NOT ONLY HAVE ENOUGH MINORITY REPRESENTATION,BUT ALSO REFLECT THE COKMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE.MEN AND WOMEN IN THE POLICE FORCES NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THEIR FIRST. AND FOREMOST DUTY IS TO PROTECT AND SERVE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER TO BRUTALLY ABUSE A YOUNGSTER WHO IS UNARMED AND HAVE PERMISSION TO SLEEP IN. AN ENVIRONMENT. THE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO USE BETTER JUDGEMENT AND BE MORE SENSITIVE TO SPECIAL NEEDS YOUNG. PEOPLE…AND IN THE CASE WHERE OFFICERS HAVE MADE ERRORS. THERE SHOULD BE SPRCIAL INVESTIGSTIONS BY AN INDEPENDENT BODY OTHER THAN THE DEPARTMENTS CONDUCTING BIASED BIASED INVESTIGATION S WHERE BY INNOCENT VICTIMS ARE PUT IN DOUBLE JEOPARDY.AND PUNISHED TWICE FOR TUMPED UP CHARGES BY THEIR ABUSERS.ENOUGH OF THESE. KIND OF ABUSES ESPECIALLY TO JEWISH AND MINORITY KIDS. .WHEN THESE KIND OF THINGS HAPPEN. IT TAINTS THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT. INCLUDING GOOD LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS….

This has always been par for the course with the New York City Police Department. I Love Israel and the Jewish People as a whole!!I can remember in the 70′s when it was almost routine to beat up Young Members of the Jewish Defence League and The late and Great Rabbi Meir Kahane z’lfor no reason at all. I remember I saw it with My own eyes.or the taking a friend of Mine Marvin Kessler and beat him up in back of the precinct(room) for coming to the aid of His sons beaten up by a routy gang. Always the excuse assaulting a Police Officer no matter How guilty the officer is of striking an innocent Father coming to file a COMPLAINT against an officer who stood by and did nothing when Marvins children where beaten up.I am not a Wall Street Protester or a trouble maker, but the NYPD is aggressive on the wrong People. The book should be thrown at those who are guilty of assault and this goes for Police Officers in certain circumstances. This story seems to be one only too familiar.!!

Had this police unit been under my command, I would be very troubled. The beating looked extended.

Without knowing who called the police and their authority it is difficult to say whether an attempt to arrest was authorized. If the youth had permission to sleep there then police have no authority for the arrest

On the other hand, police officers would have to fear that there may be hidden weapons.

It seems to me, that assaults against Jews in that area does not get such a massive police response police.. U

I would not call this resistance other than it was not full co-operation. How you can side with the cops on this one and state they did their job well does speak well of any values you may hold. In fact, you come off as a creep yourself.

mr alfassa if this would have happen to u or your brother father mother would you b talking like this. do believe this is what is deserved to an adult that does not want to get arrested for no good reason and just probably asking to verify their claim and then instead of having the back up come and help to pin him down and cuff him they made him into a punching bag. please font make yourself into an idiot!

“The kid” is a “problem child”, that’s it.
If you make a defense of someone is not correct, is because you are of the same class, so simple like that.
We are talking about lack of respect, not discipline, not because the crap was Jew.

In NY, civilized people who wish to avoid violent incidents are supposed to know that their interactions with police officers do not include heated negotiations with swinging their arms and hands wildly. If a police officer wishes to handcuff and arrest me, regardless of the validity of his or her reasons, I allow it and then have my attorney represent me in a courtroom during my arraignment. I am sure many want to be incensed about my posting and opinion of this video, but I watched it and see nothing wrong with the actions of the officer. We owe the NYPD our unwavering cooperation. We are not supposed to be the lowlife element that ends up in violent exchanges with them. Sorry in advance if you disagree.

Do you live here in the U.S.A ?!.
The date of your message, says October 16th. and we still are in October 15th.
am i wrong?.
That young man is simply a disobedient, it is true there was excessive force but was his fault.

hi carmen i would like to reply to some of your points of view regarding this situation. i am retired from a police department in upstate new york just north of nyc. i am happy that you are pro police, however in this particular situation the officers acted incorrectly on many fronts. first of all from the video it appears that the subject was mentally ill. his actions were not threatning in any manner whatsoever and any well trained officer would have recognized this immediately. wwhat should have been done in this situation was to call for ems paramedics and to calm the man until they arrived. the only justifiable reason to hand cuff the man would to be for officer safety and also the mans personal safety until the paramedics could arrived. once the paramedics arrived and made a medical assessment also with the possibility of illegal substances in his bloodstream proper medical treatment could begin before transportation to a medical facility. the force utilized by the officers who feloniously assaulted the man were illegal and the response of 11 officers is the strength of officer backup at a shooting situation. these two officers should have been dismissed of their positions with the nypd and arrested for felonious assault a felony. how ever carmen to show some enjoyment of your feelings towards police officers on the whole i am grateful that there are people like yourself who admire us and think so highly of us.. in this particular and unusual disturbing example of police conduct and display of heinously poor action on some officers please remember that most of us try to treat all with respect and kindness no matter where in america we are pinning on the tin everyday!!!

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